How Much? How Often?

On this page, and in this mini-lecture, I will discuss the roles that Frequency and Time play in second language development.

I will try to address issues relating to how long it takes to learn a language and how often we should study to get the best results. I will also touch on a range of other issues related to the impact that Frequency and Time have on second language development.

Remember, before you check out my mini-lecture make sure you have read the summary below (because it took me a long time to write).

Please watch the mini-lecture at the bottom of the page.

Every Little Bit Helps.The role that the frequency of input (and output) plays in SLA cannot be understated. Frequency affects every element of language development – from grammar and lexis to expected speech patterns and language evolution. This being the case, it is easy to see why we need to encourage our students to engage with the target language as often as possible.

This can be done by simply working with your students to set viable study plans that incorporate interesting daily (time permitting) homework activities. It can also be achieved by encouraging your students to engage with the target language in ways that they enjoy (e.g., TV, film, coffee with friends, etc.), however try to encourage them to select materials that match their level.

Aside from this, teachers might find it beneficial to explain the importance of frequency in SLA. They might also find it helpful to remind students to set aside time in their daily schedules for input and/or output of the target language (explain to your students that even five minutes of focused study a day is better than no study at all).

Working in tandem with frequency is time. Time on task (coupled with frequency) is of paramount importance to learning a language. Yes, we have all seen the websites that claim you can be fluent in three months – however, for those of us who are not savants we need more time. A lot more time!

One of the biggest problems related to time is that too many students (often as a result of misinformation) have false expectations of how long it takes to learn a language – especially when students state that they want to be fluent in their chosen language.

This situation is not helped by the abundance of ‘secrets’ and ‘shortcuts’ that can be found lurking on the internet, in books, and touted by language schools, that claim to expedite language development. The sad truth is most of these ‘secrets’ and ‘shortcuts’ are unsubstantiated and are nothing more that sales pitches (Yeah – that’s right, I’m not happy that some people think it is perfectly fine to lie to students who put their faith in us as educators.).

Furthermore, many students miscalculate how much time they have really spent learning a language. They confuse time-on-task (how many actual hours of study or attention paid to learning) with years spent learning (how many years they have studied – regardless of how many hours of study they have put in). Let me give you an analogy. My father has about 60 years cooking experience compared to Gordon Ramsay’s 25. So why is Gordon a better cook than my father? Simple. Gordon Ramsay spends 8 to 10 hours a day in the kitchen, whereas my father spends about 1 hour a day (but my dad’s BBQ ham would blow Ramsay’s out of the water).

So what can you do to help your students? First, maybe you could explain to your students that learning a language is not a quick and easy task. Explain that depending on the student’s current level, desired level, mother tongue, age, time commitments, desire, resources, quality of input, opportunities for output, and a host of other factors, learning a language can take years – even a lifetime.

Second, help your students understand that time is key. Learning a second language requires the learner to put in the time. The more time the better (as you heard in my lectures on Listeningand Reading, both Tisha and Justin spent hours each day engaging with their respective target languages to reach their levels of development).

Finally, remind your students that although they should ideally try to engage with materials that are suitable for their level, any input will be of some benefit (especially if they enjoy it) – all thanks to frequency and statistical learning (i.e. usually the more times you encounter something in the input the sooner you will learn it).

Note: In my mini-lecture I mention 'statistical learning' - it should be known that what I am talking about is something slightly different to the statistical learning which helps babies learn their first language. For further clarification please see my notes below regarding statistical learning for babies.

​Note: In my mini-lecture I mentioned the concept of statistical language learning. This term is usually reserved for discussions concerning how children learn their mother tongue. For those of you interested interested in knowing more about this concept please check out the links below. However, please note that a) the following lectures deal exclusively with babies learning their first language, and b) the way frequency and the sheer volume of input helps adults and older children learn a second language is different (but still helpful) to how frequency and input impacts a child's first language development.1. Dr. Patricia Kuhl - from the University of Washington (discussing how babies learn a language)2. Dr. Deb Roy - from MIT (discussing the first words uttered by his son)